Scoring breakdown

The Range Rover brand used to stand for a single, all-encompassing model at the pinnacle of Land Rover's range. More recently it's expanded to include the baby Evoque and, before that, the Sport. Between them they've opened up the brand to a new breed of luxury SUV buyers while giving the regular Rangie space in the rarefied air at the top of the four-wheel-drive tree.

Now there's a new Range Rover Sport, which shares its basic styling with the bigger model, albeit with some unique touches, such as the vents in the bonnet. Sport take two is a sleeker, more enticing machine that arguably better lives up to its name - to look at, at least. It's also more closely related to its regular Range Rover big brother, sharing the same basic underpinnings and mechanical components.

What do you get?

The Sport starts at $102,800 (plus on-road and dealer costs) for the TDV6, or another $10,800 for the same gear but with a more powerful version of the 3.0-litre V6 turbo diesel and a dual-range transfer case with a more advanced traction management system for more serious off-roading. Included are LED lights front and rear, rear parking sensors, adjustable air suspension, auto wipers, heated exterior mirrors, satellite navigation, colour touchscreen, reversing camera and leather trim. As with many Land Rovers, there's also most of the hardware for a towing kit.

There are airbags all round (dual front, front-side and side curtain), although there's a list of options that includes many of the fancier crash warning and/or avoidance systems (blind spot monitor, $1200; radar cruise with auto braking for $4700) and all manner of trim and entertainment options.

Taking the option of the third row of seats (lifting capacity to seven) adds $3700 to the price, but you lose the full-sized spare wheel, instead having to make do with a tyre repair kit that seriously reduces the off-road credentials.

Step up to the HSE ($125,800) and there's also powered front seats, smart-key entry, whiter xenon headlights, front camera and some aluminium trim elements, among other additions.

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The Autobiography (from $145,500) brings all the fruit, including a Meridian sound system and more upmarket finishes.

You can also have the HSE with a supercharged V6 petrol engine, while the HSE and Autobiography can be had with a supercharged V8 engine that's all about performance - at the expense of fuel use.

What's inside?

From the driver's seat there's not much to pick the Sport from the regular Range Rover; the more traditional gear selector (rather than a rotary selector) is the biggest point of difference. That means the same commanding driving position (and leap into the cabin, at least if you haven't lowered the suspension) and classy interior.

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The central touchscreen is easy to use with logical menus, while the buttons on the steering wheel bring additional functionality. The optional digital instrument cluster in our car is clever in dialling up different modes depending on how you're using the car; when off-roading, for example, it can give more detailed information about the four-wheel-drive system.

Plush yet supportive seats (with built-in arm rests up front) are a great long-distance touch, while all the major controls fall easily to hand. The only annoyance is the self shutdown function that assumes you're leaving the car once you've selected park and unplugged your seatbelt.

At the other end of the vehicle, the auto-lifting tailgate isn't the handy split unit of the regular Rangie. It reveals a compact but useful load area that comes with its own cover. But a pram and some overnight gear can quickly fill it, a reminder the Sport isn't as capacious as some.

Rear seat space is good, though, and there's impressive attention to detail, right down to the air vents and folding centre arm rest.

Under the bonnet

Land Rover's familiar 3.0-litre V6 diesel is a sweet unit, made even more lovable by the aluminium underpinnings that help the Sport shed the best part of half a tonne. At 2115kg it's still no featherweight, but the stonking 600Nm of torque available from just 2000rpm helps shift the five-door body with ease.

It's helped by the slick eight-speed automatic that does a superb job of efficiently slotting into the right ratio; only from a standstill can there occasionally be some lethargy in the way it refires the engine once the auto stop-start system kicks in.

It crescendos with 215kW of power, but you'll rarely touch on that; the auto is keen to change about the 4000rpm mark, at which the peak kicks in, and you have so much torque on offer lower in the rev range that it usually suffices.

Claimed acceleration to 100km/h is 7.2 seconds, which is more than enough for everyday work. Even at freeway speeds it easily and effortlessly builds pace with a refinement that's befitting its luxury standing.

Fuel use, too, is good for a big machine. You won't easily achieve the 7.5 litres per 100km claim, but it'll undercut the 10L/100km mark.

On the road

It may be lighter but the Sport is still a sizeable machine, something you get from the seating position. But while it has the king-of-the-road feel akin to a regular Range Rover, tauter suspension ensures it's less likely to lean in bends, particularly on successive direction changes.

Big Brembo brakes do a comprehensive job of stopping the Sport, too, something that should come in handy on extended declines, or if you do actually plan to tap into its sporty demeanour.

It's also predictable in its manners and forgiving if (or when) you do approach its limits, with smart electronics quickly on hand to help out. Steering is light but progressive and the Sport has an agility that belies its size.

Which brings me to its key advantage over would-be rivals from BMW and even Porsche. For those buying an SUV with some expectation it can go off-road, then the Sport is a clear winner in the rough stuff. As well as air suspension that can be raised and lowered, it has very good wheel articulation, underbody protection and a traction management system that incorporates locking differentials and can be tailored to different surfaces.

Verdict

The Sport is a tempting proposition for those who don't need the space of the true Range Rover and/or people who want some more athleticism to its dynamics. It's supremely capable and comfortable while bringing much of the corner-crunching manners more road-focused SUVs still outclass it with. But knowing you've got some of the world's most competent off-road ability waiting for the next sand hill/river crossing/muddy field/snow-covered road is what the Range Rover Sport is all about. For that it deserves a big tick, even if you pay for the privilege.